[Joe 6-pack]

Our relationship with dogs can teach us quite a abit about our relationships with both God and the rest of His creation.

Many wonder how God could love us unconditionally in spite of our disobedience and resistance to His directions and guidance. Any person who has ever housebroken a puppy does not wonder about this.

Dogs look to us as their "masters" much like we should view God as our Master. Dogs generally work tirelessly to please their master, and take great pleasure in doing so. We should follow their example.

[NYer]

Dogs look to us as their "masters" much like we should view God as our Master. Dogs generally work tirelessly to please their master, and take great pleasure in doing so. We should follow their example.

I totally agree. Over the past 18 years, I have adopted and fostered several basset hounds. Along the way, I organized the first Capital District Basset Hound Waddle. We began with a handful of dogs and today, it has become an annual event with 100's of hounds attending. Monies raised go towards a rescue group. Following the death of my last hound, I needed to step back and reassess the situation. Then, last September, my daughter noticed a basset hound on the web site of our local shelter. One look and I was down there the next morning when the doors opened. Lilly joined our family the next day and life is good again. She just turned 6. Of all the bassets I have known, this girl is by far the sweetest. She absolutely loves going for walks and greeting everyone she sees, be they human or animal. She is gregarious and filled with joy. How anyone could give her up is beyond me. She is now my constant companion.

Lilly

[Emperor Palpatine]

That was so profound it brought tears to my eyes, Joe.

My Akita and I thank you.

[floralamiss]

Truth and beauty. You never cease to amaze me with your insights and the manner in which you express them. You are a treasure, my love.

[floralamiss]

... and so is Ranger. :-)

[Rushmore Rocks]

Beautiful post. Thank you.

[Salamander]

I had *very* few human playmates as a child.

My ‘friends’ were all animals.

I learned more from them than I ever learned from people.

People think I’m joking when I say I was ‘raised by wolves’.

When my family would not protect me from a ‘bad uncle’, my dogs did.

[and still do]

All of my ‘best character traits’ [such as they are] come from lessons taught me by dogs, most notably, loyalty and devotion.

I’m not sure who’d I be right now, if not for them.

I see my sister [who didn’t like animals] and fear that I may have turned out like her.

I got lucky.